Before the Storm
by Hybrid-Demon
Summary: He's dead. He's dead and there's nothing they can do about it. What happened after Mello and Near got the terrible news. Spoilers for book 7. Rated for violence.


**I wrote this a damn long time ago, and just now got around to posting it. The beginning is taken directly out of the book, and I filled in everything after that. The dialogue and event's for probably the first half do not belong to me. Everything after that came from this demented mind of mine.**

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"What is it Roger?" Mello asked, standing before the older man, a white-haired boy sitting beside him, putting together a puzzle.

Roger's gentle eyes closed. He didn't want to tell the boys this horrible news, but he had to. He took a steadying breath.

"L is dead."

Mello gasped, his eyes widening. Near, the white-haired boy, did little more than pause in building his puzzle, his usually expressionless face reflecting the shock of the news.

"Dead?!" Mello yelled, slamming his fists against the desk. "W-why?!"

Roger was silent. Near finished his nearly blank puzzle. Mello leaned in closer to Roger, his voice hoarse with distress.

"Y. . You mean he was killed by Kira? Is that it . . . ?"

"Most likely." Roger replied calmly.

Mello, however, was everything but calm, grabbing onto the front of Roger's shirt and screamed, "He promised he'd see Kira dead! L was killed. .? Are you sure?!"

"Mello . . . " Roger said, frightened by the boys antics.

"If you can't beat the game, can't solve the puzzle, you're nothing but a loser." Near said emotionlessly.

Mello turned slightly to look at the boy, who didn't say a thing as he dumped the puzzle out on the floor.

"So then which one of us did L. . ." Mello didn't finish the sentence. Near started the puzzle over again.

"Neither of you, yet." Roger said quietly, "He can't choose, now that he's dead . . . "

Mello stared at Roger, taking in all the new information.

"Mello, Near . . . how about you two work together . . . ?"

"Yeah, sounds good." Near muttered, almost finished with the puzzle again.

Mello bit his lower lip in disgust, holding back an angry snarl.

"That's impossible, Roger . . . You know Near and I don't get along . . . We're always competing."

Roger opened his mouth to speak, but Mello cut him off.

"It's ok Roger . . . Near can be L's successor. Unlike me, Near will calmly and unemotionally solve the puzzle." Mello said as Near put the last piece in his puzzle.

"I'm going now . . . I'm leaving the orphanage, too."

"Mello," Roger said, standing up and reaching for the young boy as he walked for the door.

"I'm almost 15 anyway, Roger." Mello informed, opening the door. "I'll live my life my own way." He finished, slamming the door behind him.

Roger stared at the slammed door. Near seemed unfazed by the boys temper.

"Near . . . " Roger pleaded, "please go talk to him."

Near rose and grabbed the newly finished puzzle and walked out the door.

Near didn't want to talk to Mello. Mello hated him, and although he didn't return the feelings of distaste, he did not like socializing with the blonde while he was like this,

Near tentatively pushed the door open.

"Mello?" he asked quietly.

The young teen was busy throwing cloths and items into a bag viciously. He paused when he heard his rival speak.

"Get out of here, Near." He seethed, throwing in some more things.

"Don't go like this." Near tried. Roger had asked him too, right? "Forget this petty rivalry and work with me to avenge L."

"No!" Mello shouted, spinning on his heels to face the mysterious boy. "I will avenge L myself!" then he lunged forward and grabbed onto Near, pulling the boy into the dark room and out of the doorway.

"I hate you!" he screamed, throwing Near against the wall.

Near yelped when he collided with the wall, dropping his puzzle.

"It's because of you." He snarled, stepping closer to Near. "It's your fault." He said, hitting the boy across the face, leaving a stinging red mark against the otherwise pale skin.

"Why, you bastard? Why couldn't you be imperfect for once? Why did you always have to best me?!" Mello screeched, pouncing on the boy and beating him repeatedly.

Near did nothing more than try to protect himself, and even that was becoming a losing battle. He just sat there, allowing the other boy to wail on him, screaming the frustration he had felt over all these years.

Near wasn't sure how long he sat there, feeling nothing buts fists. It seemed like Mello was angry that he wasn't fighting back, so he started to hit him harder.

Then Mello was being pulled off the lighter haired boy. Mello clawed at Near, hot tears streaming down his face. He ripped himself from the grasp of the caretaker and grabbed his bag. He broke through the crowd of onlookers and rushed down the hall as the woman helped Near up and the crowd closed in around him, throwing question after question at the hurt boy. Near watched Mello leave, wanting to go after him, but the people held him back. He said a silent prayer for his rival.

Mello ran down the halls and out the door. It was raining now, hard. But Mello didn't care as he walked into the downpour.

_I'll live my life my own way._ He silently vowed.

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**This is old, old, ooolllllddddd. It's been uploaded for months, I've just never posted it.**

**Anyway, hope you liked. ((Reviews, good or bad, make the earth go round))**

**-Hybrid**


End file.
